Sonny Boy: The Savior and What the Eye See

Mizuho is best girl -- That is all that is necessary to be said in my intro this week.

Disclaimer: There are two essays preceding this; Just like how the show has built upon itself each episode, my essays thus have ideas that are built upon one another as well that can add a lot of context-flavor. However, since this runs the risk of reading fatigue, I will instead just summarized each of them and leave the final decision to you. 

The Human Sandbox (Episode 1):

https://zxcaderu.blogspot.com/2021/07/sonny-boy-human-sandbox.html

This essay takes an in-depth view on a concept I coined, the 'human sandbox'. It is an analysis focused around how the show's structure and premise removes all sense of survival-concepts and societal associations. This is done so to establish our characters not as human-beings but as a pure manifestation of 'concepts', ideas that the show writers are much more excited to explore.

It is also a lot more technique-based, using interesting techniques like 'cold openings' and 'anti-climax' to enhance its ideas. On the other hand, the essay takes on lesser interpretations of characters and symbolism, so it may not be as interesting to those who prefer the more narrative side of the story.

Integrity and Her Benevolent Sandbox (Episode 2):

https://zxcaderu.blogspot.com/2021/07/sonny-boy-integrity-and-her-benevolent.html

This essay is split into two; The first half focuses on Mizuho and takes a deep-dive into her personality; It jumps between taking a more narrative analysis about her human qualities and also her more symbolic qualities, namely the concept of 'integrity.

The second half continues building on the 'sandbox' idea I have in episode 1 and thus lends it a more structural lens (or more meta lens) on why the writers might be interested with such a strange premise to begin with. For those interested in narrative and just thinks Mizuho is best girl (I don't blame ya), read the first half and ignore the second. For those who likes technical jargons and meta-explorations, you know where to go. 

Chapter: Recluse

There is a hierarchy amongst the students; The superhumans and the 'normal'. 

We discussed in episode 1 how all the students are pure manifestations of ego and have unlimited potential, but in the subsequent episode that begun to crumble. Students now face powerlessness, loneliness and insecurity; The establishment of the superpower hierarchy has brought about a real-world problem -- Social pressures.

Asakaze is powerful. In fact, he is literally Jesus, being able to split the ocean in half. And yet by his side, many students lack such power, lifting logs by their shoulders and toiling the fields by hand. Mizuho is fortunate. She has everything she can ever want, and in extension, everything that all the other students will ever need. To get even a fraction of that, they need to sweat under the sun and labor away. Even in that superpower spectrum is there its own hierarchy. Powers by its conceptual idea can be ranked based on their utility; A person may be able to shape the fabric of reality and yet the next will only be able to become the human equivalent of the anglerfish.

These elements have brought together a familiar concept; Workplace hierarchy. The ones at the top will have managerial duties like Pony and Cap; They oversee and they demand, just like how Pony chased Mizuho not for answers but for results. On the second tier, those with superpowers make labor obsolete; A guy was pictured sitting down in his shade, terraforming entire trees while the tier 3 students suffered under the hot sun. The factors that used to determine our social rank and aptitude -- Talent, luck, connections -- has now been replaced with something even more absurd in its unfairness, the 'superpowered'.

This world is bias; In fact, the students were shown complaining this episode; When Mizuho showed up at the classroom, some snarkily remarked: "Unlike a certain someone, we don't have the time or any special powers." Just like in the real world, social tension is hurtful, discriminatory and has seeped into even a 'sandbox' of pure ego. How do our students deal with this unfairness? They form cliques. 

In their social groups, they find opportunities to relate, to vent, to relax. This is their sanctuary where they can be empowered by numbers of their own and reject the 'powered' of their scorn -- A personal bubble where they themselves have some form of social control.

However what happens when even cliques reject an individual? When the odds are so stacked against your social aptitude that even the lower spectrum disowns you. That is where you will find the true recluses of society; The shut-ins.

"Nobody worries about me. It's so nice being one of the gifted, huh? Getting pushed around by them however they want. I just kept thinking I've had enough of this, and before I knew it, here I was."

Unlike a social-sanctity, this is an isolated-haven, where one don't even need to breath the outside air. These social rejects are in essence, bubble-wrapping themselves from even the slightest pressure of human interaction. To fulfil their own needs, they consulted a variety of hobbies; One desired to maximize his time by improving his body -- A healthier alternative -- But others, not so much. They became chair-bound; One fell victim to his online forums and the other streamed to an imaginary audience. In fact, you can say they relied on that to satisfy their desire for human connection; Instead of putting themselves at risk in a face-to-face interaction, they are protected by anonymity behind their plastic screen. Our last individual even had a coping mechanism, substituting all interactions with naught but unassuming, fluffy faces. It is the perfect chamber; You are safe from all pressures and you can make yourself feel good. It's even addictive, with its low-cost dopamine rushes. Why should one risk social failure when you can get everything you want here?

Is that really true though? Other than the one who likes working out, the rest didn't seem all that happy. When confronted by Nagara, they seemed melancholic, even ashamed of their own escapism. Compare their attitude and environment to that of another social recluse, Mizuho; They are much less confident and much more insecure. Unlike the vibrant castle, their room is literal curtains, shutting themselves from sight and possible judgement. Mizuho is a willing social recluse; She doesn't partake in many human interactions because as 'integrity', she is unwilling to tolerate the farces. The others social recluses are instead scared of those farces, and are trapped by their fear of them.

Believe in Yourself

Nagara isn't so different from a social recluse. Before the drifting, he was accurately judged by Nozomi as someone who is "acting like they have so many places they need to be". The word 'act' tackles the heart of social pressures, the need to 'look adequate'. He is well aware of what these social images are. When confronted by Nozomi on why he didn't save the dying bird in episode 2, he subconsciously projects his insecurities, admitting to being a "heartless person". And it is because he is aware of social images that he compares himself to others; When confronted by Mizuho in episode 3, he reveals his lack of self-esteem -- "There is no way I can beat him (Asakaze)." This is similarly echoed in episode 4, with Ace; We will discuss that further below.

One should take note not to immediately associate comparison with low self-esteem. After all, there can be many cases where we can compare yourselves to others and yet not feel insecure; For example if you are perfectly fine with your body image, you can confidently flaunt the word 'fat' or 'skinny' without feeling as if a part of you is being torn apart. However, it is because Nagara has shown instances of actively shying away from his insecurities do I say that he lacks self-esteem; After all, why else would he be triggered by the direct remarks of Mizuho in episode 3?

However, what makes Nagara different? Why doesn't he escape into the curtains? I think the answer is simple -- Ambition. Nozomi asks him in episode 1: "Are you a sunflower, or a dandelion?" In other words, if there is a place that shone brighter, would you want to go see it, or stay rooted and only stare at it. He replies: "Dandelion, I guess?" 

While Nagara doesn't express himself often, his ambition is always hinted by a variety of symbolism. For example, most of us probably know that Nozomi is symbolically represented by birds, but some may have missed Nagara's own bird parallels such as in the very first scene when Nozomi picked a feather off of his face. And in episode 4, he was able to take a swing at the fastball, against all expectations and odds that weighed him down.

Nagara as of now doesn't have a place to go, but he at least wants to go somewhere. His ambition and lack of self-esteem thus clash just like his moral dilemma of saving the bird in episode 2; A choice of 'freedom' and a choice of 'knowing his place'. 

But ambition without action is all but ideals that are empty words; The truth of the matter is that Nagara doesn't retreat, but neither does he advances. We've seen just how heavily his low self-esteem hinders him and even with the influence of Nozomi, does he still lack initiative. 

Enter Mizuho, best girl herself, and our beloved champion of 'integrity'! It is interesting to note that her long screen time often doesn't justify how passive she has been thus far. In episode 3, she doesn't contribute much to the detective work; Similarly, in the baseball batting, she can be seen lazing around during training; And who can forget her exemption from labor itself owing to her omnipotent power. Being sassy and throwing great one-liners is what makes her perfect in my eyes, but I too, won't fault anyone for finding her to be "all talk no bite". However, that itself might be her entire purpose of the show. When confronting all the recluses, she tells them the brutal truth: "That no one cares about them". As compared to Nagara who stifles his remarks, she doesn't give a shit about what others feel about her; Mizuho is someone who has overcame the influences that weighed her down and has since justified her position of 'impartiality'. She may be a mere observer but you can always trust her to see any situation without filters or motives.

Who then could be a better fit for Nagara than Mizuho herself? Just like with the recluses, she bares no hesitance to call him out for his cowardice when regarding Asakaze. However, she does so because she cares. She, after all, was there to see all the good he has to offer; She witnessed his honesty in episode 2 and she saw him lift the recluses' curtains. In fact, let us read between her lines when she fought with him; When she presented the ideas to "yank the recluses out" or "lure them with money", do we really believe that our champion of 'integrity' would suggest that? Or was it done so as to spite him to become a proactive decision-maker? Afterwards, she even imparted some wisdom: "There are somethings you can't know till you meet them head-on." Brutally honest she may be towards Nagara, she has always been the one who scolds him to "believe in himself" more.  

The Savior, of Himself

Another prominent theme in episode 3 and 4 is "hidden talents". Nagara's new power of 'warp' is something that is illusive in nature and lacks the flashiness of Asakaze's reality-bending abilities; It was thus easy for everyone to respect Asakaze and neglect giving attention to the former. However what was missed out is that 'warp' has seemingly infinite potential. Other than the obvious solution to returning back to Earth, Nagara has the power of 'empathy'. Consider the differences between Nagara and the rest. Students with no superpowers are sent to back-breaking labor but no one considers their pain; Except Nagara who confronts Mizuho about her "free" items; Students with superpowers are also hated and shoved off as the 'gifted' by the rest; Except Nagara who sees that they can possess insecurities like he saw in Mizuho. Him being someone who possesses the perils of teenage angst, would also be the perfect person to understand the teenage angst of others. He dislikes being judged and thus in the past few conflicts, has sustained from making quick judgements. He dislikes being rejected and thus in this episode, he discovered, listened and understood the recluses; That is his 'hidden talent', to see what the 'superpowered' is too pretentious to and what the 'normal' is too self-centered to.

Episode 4 challenges Nagara even further. We should understand that his power is much more special and unique; While the rest of the abilities are like tools, expending energy to conjure power, his ability is instead conjured by conceptions; His 'empathy' allows him to relate to recluses, and warp into their rooms; His 'empathy' allows him to understand the feelings of the monkey umpire, and conjure up his stadium. His grasp on human emotions and concepts drives his power; It is thus in his most imaginative is he the strongest. However the opposite holds true as well; When Nagara is confined by opposing opinions and pressures, his power falters -- Episode 4 shows two sides of this coin.

Nagara understands and empathizes with the monkey umpire and his battle against expectations; I think most of us has even drawn parallels between the two of them, describing their battle for their own forms of 'integrity'. Thus a more interesting discussion I want to bring to the table is how the structure of storytelling bolsters his empathy. I saw a common complaint about the lengthiness of the exposition regarding the monkey fable; Cap, to put it mildly, simply could not shut up, expounding on details that ran close to eight full minutes of exposition. To me however, 'Sonny Boy' -- An anime that flaunts its visual metaphors -- Has for once, 'told' instead of 'show'. Why did the writers not conjure up some weird reasons for us to 'see the concepts' like how it has done so every other time?

It is simple; Just like how empathy requires understanding and imagination, we too, need to practice. It is in the show writers attempt to force us to imagine, does it intentionally pad out the details. Without vivid descriptions, we would have no motivation to 'think'. And moreover, anime nowadays have already conditioned us into 'passive' viewers, one who is spoon-fed with visual and auditory details; Those who have read fiction before would understand how different our mindset is between books and shows; When we see simple black text on whiteness, our brain encourages us to go beyond our 'passive' roles; And it is for this reason why we are given five full minutes of details with minimal reactions or animation; That rambly and monotonous sequence was our black text on whiteness.

The result of that may no doubt vary between the audience; Some may appreciate the vivid descriptions and others may be bored. I, for one, found myself much more invested in the moral dilemma of the monkey umpire. I was given the opportunity to imagine him standing in the midst of the booing crowd, having his collar wrung dry by Blue who berates him in his face. And isn't this the same kind of inspiration that Nagara receives? In understanding the umpire, he imagines his appearance; He contextualizes his struggles; And he conjures up a stadium to quite literally stand in his shoes. To some inception-like effect, the show has allowed us to empathize with Nagara's act of empathy; That is some story-telling creativity that is utterly mind-blowing.

So we have seen the best of what empathy has to offer; But what about the other side of the coin? Just like what happened to the monkey umpire, what happens when your ideas and conceptions are mislead by others?

Nozomi reveals an interesting insight; When Nagara failed to warp, she says: "I can't believe this world we've been in is the one that he would choose."

This reveals Nagara to be the one responsible for conjuring up this summer island. In a broader perspective, this island has thus far been plagued with many rules that he himself dislikes; Namely, a false economy that impedes labor onto students and also a rule that further shuns recluses. But think about the implications of this fact. Why would he conjure up islands that he himself doesn't want?

It is simple; Nagara thus far is still plagued by many real-world conceptions and systems; A capitalistic economy where the gifted thrive and the commoners bear; A society which encourages the recluses to become shut-ins. He has subconsciously projected the real world into this island. That is what happens on the other side of the coin, when your imagination is tainted by social norms. It is for this reason why the world flashed red for a second just before Ace's final pitch; In that split moment, he was fearful and thus lost touch of his imagination. Similarly, it is the reason why his many conjured worlds only could resemble postmodernist art; He has yet to fully understand and grasp what the real world is.

Turns out, I really wasn't that far off when I guessed at this show being a coming-of-age story after all. The direction of the show becomes clearer now; To go back home, Nagara needs to learn how to express himself in the face of societal pressure and also carve out his own beliefs free from such; Only then can he truly reach the place he wants to go -- Nagara is the fated 'Savior', but only after he saves himself.

What 'Eye' See

This section will be completely separate from the rest of the essay; Because unlike the analytical lens I will be taking, this will be highly theoretically; Or at least that is an euphemistic way of saying that I still have no idea what the fuck is going on. Usually, I am not the type to discuss topics I am uncertain about, leaving time for more evidences. But I decided to soften up a bit. Rather than just keep twirling my thumb and being confused for episodes on end, I would much rather open up a chance for discussion; I will thus pose possible theories and questions and we can all rack our brains together.

Today's topic would be on 'Sonny Boy's favorite motif thus far -- The eyeball. And when I mean favorite, I really mean it; Like goddamn should I take a shot every time I get a zoom-in on Nozomi's eyeball.

I want to add some disclaimer as well. Usually eyeballs as a motif in anime can be tricky. That is owing to the fact that anime is a highly stylized medium and thus character designers can easily draw eyes for the sake of aesthetics rather than pertaining to some deeper meaning. However thus far Sonny Boy has given enough examples to warrant the benefit of the doubt; And thus I will begin investing in it as a story-telling motif.

Thus far, there are two distinctive eye types (plus one or two anomalies). The 'administrator' and the 'innocent' eyes. The innocent eyes is as seen above; Black pupil, with a white gleam and brown underlay. This is the type that every single character in the show possesses thus far. One dynamic I want to highlight is that the size and details of the pupil is usually a showing of power. A small and unimaginative pupil often indicates lack of individuality and confidence. It is for this reason why the recluses in episode 3 had their eyes drawn far away with small pupils and in some cases, with characters not even willing to show them at all; Nagara and Mizuho suffered from this as well, having the brown underlay of their pupils removed.

On the flip side, the one who gets the most power is Nozomi. An interesting consideration is that it isn't just because we zoom-in into her eyes, but also because we 'see' only the eye.

Are we able to tell what emotions Nozomi has in this scene? Not really. And that is because other possible elements of expression is stolen from us, namely the mouth, nose and even the hair. The eyebrows is another pivotal design to vivid expressions, but keep in mind that with every zoom-in, her eyes are drawn to be as unemotional and stoic as possible; And this ties into my next point. It is in drawing eyes like this does it creates a "judging" effect.

In every episode, Nozomi 'judges' our characters and she judges primarily Nagara and Hoshi. Some notable examples will be whenever Nagara demeans herself or lacks initiative, and with Hoshi, whenever he shows himself as some kind of puppeteer. 

Having 'judging eyes' as a motif brings very interesting considerations into literature as well; Rather than just Nozomi, the question becomes: Whose eyes are this, the writer or the character? 

Judging eyes often is mistaken to be the writers as it is often used by them to place emphasize at a particular scene; By interjecting Nozomi's eyes into Hoshi's preaching, it can be read as them putting up neon signs, saying: "This line of dialogue or action warrants symbolic/thematic considerations -- Pay attention!" Through such a motif, writers often characterize their shows under a moralistic lens as well. Morals after all, is the most powerful element of a human that is subjected to a global language of scrutiny; People can 'consider' themes of violence, but when it comes to murder whereby a line of human decency is crossed, will it always diverge into 'judging'. Hence, judging eyes will always imbue powerful attention, meaning and teaching to whatever element it compliments.

What meaning and teaching can we gather from Nozomi's judging eyes thus far? Well, sadly I don't know. I can take a wild guess but that itself would begin to detract from analysis. What is interesting however is when we consider her role in the story thus far. She while initially having a pivotal role in her debut, has since lack activity. Not as if to say that she doesn't do much, but more so that she doesn't impact the story; Nagara undertakes that role. What she does do however is impart many words of wisdom; In every episode's end, she often would act as an author's surrogate, summarizing and imparting some moral to tie everything up. And she will always be correct, even foreshadowing many story elements.

She holds the power of the 'compass' and it is honestly a fitting power. Nozomi, even on a comparable level with Nagara, holds a lot of empathy; She is the one who understands Mizuho in episode 2, and afterwards she accurate sees through the complexities of concepts like she did when she empathized with the monkey umpire. We can then surmise from everything that what she values most is 'freedom'.

Now the big question: Why isn't she the chosen one? Why isn't she the savior? When it comes to someone who can show empathy and champion 'autonomy' and 'integrity', Nozomi is the perfect fit. Instead, she was given the role to observe Nagara, the imperfect savior. One possible interpretation is that she is indeed an author's surrogate and acts as a tool of impartiality, nudging Nagara when required and imbuing the needed morals. She thus helps to tighten up the coming-of-age plot, assisting in his growth efficiently and concisely. (But do keep in mind this is extremely theoretical and I believe the writers to be much more creative than that)

What about the 'administrator' eyes? This would be dominated only by Hoshi. That is until episode 4 whereby the teacher showed up. This is shown with the eyes being only circles with varying layers of black and brown. Aesthetically speaking, the white gleam in an eye often is used in animation to portray 'liveliness'; Losing the white gleam, makes the eye seem 'emotionless'. Multiple circles also add to the effect like of staring into some void, adding mystery as well. Instead of the zoom-ins though, one can consider when Hoshi uses these eyes; And yes, owing to its name, they are most often shown when Hoshi is carrying out acts of administration; Notable examples include him punishing cap and him discussing about the god-like narrator with Nozomi. However the one I want to dissect is when he gave Mizuho a warning.

For someone who champions 'fairness' and spoke about being 'victims' of the real world in episode 1, why would he be showing his 'administrator' eyes when it comes to teamwork? This brings into question whether Hoshi truly believes in the lessons that he preach. It is in his conversation with Nozomi do we gain further insight as well. He spoke of the god-like narrator approaching him as if giving him "questions of a test".

A nuanced question to ask can be: Who is the one doing the test? If "god" tasked Hoshi with finding the answers, then it would make sense if he is an active puppeteer behind the scenes. This will align with some of his actions like setting the school rules and manipulating Mizuho. However, we can consider him to be the one giving out the tests as well. He could still be finding answers, but the responsibilities are flipped. He may be taking a more neutral approach; He gives everyone the suitable environment and then allows them to roam free. He who observes will thus be akin to a biologist admiring an aquarium. This will align with some of his more recent passivity whereby he didn't interfere in episode 3 and 4 like he did with Mizuho. Maybe it is some complex mix of both as well; In any case, this does warrant more evidence.

Further questions unresolved will be the potential conflict between Hoshi and Nozomi; There are two judgers after all, each with seemingly different methods and beliefs. A clash where only one prevail seems very likely. An unexpected element however will be the teacher. Would the teacher have clashing beliefs than Hoshi as well? Only time will tell I guess.

Conclusion

Well, this somehow turned out much longer than expected. And you will not want to know how long I took to write this. Anyhow, I have homework to catch up on. I will leave clever ending remarks for my next ten essays Sonny Boy will force me to write.